New 2014 Festival of Light wreath. (PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK LASSWELL OF EAST SIDE COMMUNITY TELEVISION)

Of the countless bulbs and changing displays for the East Peoria Festival of Lights, none has shined as brightly as the wreath atop Fondulac Drive.

For 30 years, the wreath — like the star atop a Christmas tree — has served as the highest hallmark of the holiday event.

Fest aficionados know many of the iconic displays, such as the Starship Enterprise and ski jumper. And certainly the FOLEPI soldier symbolizes a mascot.

But, for passersby on Interstate 74 and Illinois Route 116, along with other nearby routes, the wreath heralds the start of the holiday season. It’s become a local tradition: when the wreath is first flipped on, fest fans know the Winter Wonderland is open for drive-through.

For years, the wreath had been fashioned from a small Ferris wheel that the City of East Peoria borrowed and decorated each year. But in 2014, the city crafted a new wreath, complete with LED lights and a timer. The wreath — $20,000 for the structure and $10,000 for the lights — glimmers brighter than ever before.